Frequently Asked Questions

A radiographic second opinion is an independent expert review of your dental or medical imaging (X-rays, CBCT, CT scans, or MRI). Our board-certified oral and maxillofacial radiology specialists analyse your existing images and provide a detailed written report — without you needing to attend a clinic in person. Studies show expert review changes or refines the primary diagnosis in up to 30% of cases.

A second opinion is valuable for patients who have received a complex or unexpected diagnosis and want confirmation, clinicians who need subspecialty expertise for unusual findings, patients facing expensive or invasive treatment and want to verify necessity, cases where two clinicians have given conflicting recommendations, and medico-legal situations requiring an independent expert assessment.

No. Second Opinion is a fully remote service. You submit your request online, upload your imaging files securely, and receive your report by email. No travel, no waiting rooms, no appointments. We serve patients and clinicians anywhere in the world.

We cover 20+ dental and maxillofacial radiology specialties including implant planning, endodontic evaluation, TMJ abnormalities, paranasal sinus diseases, jaw cysts and tumours, fractures and trauma, periodontal disease, sleep apnea CBCT airway analysis, polysomnography report evaluation, soft tissue calcifications, salivary gland diseases, dental anomalies, craniofacial anomalies, forensic radiology, and more. See our full services page for the complete list.

1. Submit your consultation request form on our Contact page (takes 5 minutes). 2. We acknowledge your request within a few hours and send a secure, HIPAA-compliant upload link. 3. You upload your imaging files (DICOM, CBCT, X-rays, PDF reports). 4. A board-certified specialist with expertise in your area of concern reviews your case in detail. 5. A comprehensive written report is delivered to your email within 48–72 business hours.

Standard reports are delivered within 48–72 business hours of receiving your complete imaging files. Urgent cases (clearly indicated on the request form) are typically reviewed within 24 hours at an additional fee. Complex multi-modality cases (e.g. combined CBCT + MRI + PSG) may require 4–5 business days. You will always be informed of the expected delivery time before your case is assigned.

Yes. Please mark your request as "Urgent" in the subject field of the consultation form and describe the clinical urgency. Urgent cases are typically reviewed within 24 hours. An expedite fee applies. We accommodate genuine clinical emergencies — please contact us directly by email or phone if you need a same-day turnaround.

Your case is reviewed by diplomates of recognised oral and maxillofacial radiology boards with subspecialty training in the area relevant to your query. All reviewing specialists hold advanced qualifications in oral and maxillofacial radiology and have extensive experience in CBCT interpretation, sleep medicine radiology, and jaw pathology. Full credentials are available on request.

After submitting your consultation request form, you will receive a secure HIPAA-compliant upload link via email. You upload your files directly through that link — no email attachments, no third-party file-sharing services. The link is unique to your case and expires after 7 days.

We accept: DICOM files (.dcm) — the standard for CBCT and CT scans; Full CBCT datasets (all proprietary formats: i-CAT, Planmeca, Carestream, Sirona, etc.); Digital X-rays (JPEG, PNG, TIFF, BMP) at full resolution; PDF reports including polysomnography and radiology reports; Video files of dynamic studies (.mp4, .avi). Please always send original, uncompressed files where possible. Screenshots of X-rays are not acceptable as they lack diagnostic quality.

We support uploads up to 2 GB per submission. Full CBCT datasets are typically 200–800 MB. If your dataset exceeds 2 GB (rare but possible for very large FOV scans), please contact us before submission and we will arrange an alternative transfer method such as WeTransfer Pro or a secure FTP link.

Phone photographs of X-rays on a light box are not acceptable — the image quality, resolution, and contrast are insufficient for diagnostic interpretation. Please always export your imaging from the dental software as a DICOM file or a full-resolution digital image. If you are unsure how to export your files, your treating dentist or the clinic that took the X-rays can assist.

Yes. All data is handled in strict accordance with HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) guidelines. Your imaging files and personal details are never shared with any third party. All files are stored on AES-256 encrypted servers with access restricted to the reviewing specialist and essential administrative staff only.

Yes, and we actively encourage this. Patient identifiers (name, date of birth, ID numbers) can be removed from DICOM metadata before upload using free tools such as DICOM Anonymizer or your dental software's export settings. Please notify us if files have been de-identified so we can record this in your case file. Clinical details such as age and sex should still be provided as they are relevant to interpretation.

Your imaging files and associated reports are stored on our encrypted servers for 90 days from the date of report delivery. After 90 days, all files are permanently deleted unless you request extended retention in writing. You will receive an automated notification 14 days before your files are due for deletion.

Every report includes: patient/case reference details; a summary of imaging provided and imaging quality assessment; systematic findings with anatomical region descriptions; a differential diagnosis where applicable; a priority-ranked conclusion; and specific clinical recommendations. Reports are written in clear, clinician-ready language. Annotated screenshots from the CBCT or imaging are included where they aid understanding.

Yes, and we encourage this. The report is specifically formatted to be shared with your treating clinician. It includes all the technical imaging details they need to understand the findings and adjust your treatment plan accordingly. You own your report and may share it freely.

A single clarification query is included at no additional charge within 14 days of report delivery. Simply reply to the report delivery email with your question and we will respond within 48 hours. If you require a supplementary opinion on additional imaging or a formal addendum to the report, this is treated as a new case.

Pricing varies by the complexity and type of evaluation. Standard single-modality reports (one CBCT or one panoramic series) start at a competitive flat fee. Complex multi-modality cases, medico-legal reports, and forensic evaluations are priced on request. Please contact us with details of your case and we will provide a quote within a few hours. There are no hidden fees.

We do not bill insurance directly. However, many patients successfully claim reimbursement from their dental or health insurance for specialist radiology consultation fees. We will provide a detailed invoice and letter of medical necessity on request to assist with your insurance claim.

If your imaging is of insufficient quality to interpret and we cannot produce a report, you will receive a full refund. If you are dissatisfied with the content of your report, please contact us within 14 days to discuss. We take quality seriously and will address any genuine concerns. Because specialist time is irrecoverably spent once a review is complete, we do not issue refunds on completed reports except in cases of demonstrable specialist error.

Yes. Our reports can be prepared to medico-legal standard, suitable for use in court proceedings, insurance disputes, negligence claims, and professional regulatory hearings. Please indicate this requirement at the time of submission so the report is formatted and signed accordingly. Expert witness testimony (in-person or written) can also be arranged at an additional fee.

Yes. This is one of our most common medico-legal requests. Please provide both the original imaging and any previous reports so the reviewing specialist can assess what was present at the time of the original study and whether it was identifiable using standard radiographic interpretation techniques.